"Am I right, Uchiha Obito?!"
Uchiha Itachi bit his inner cheek, his gaze sharp. He finally understood why being around this so-called "Madara" always left him feeling off.
Because this Madara... was fake.
This man wasn't Uchiha Madara at all—he was someone else impersonating him!
On the surface, Itachi appeared composed, but his heart had sunk like a stone to the ocean floor.
Obito had approached him under the guise of Madara Uchiha. He had even helped him slaughter the Uchiha clan. Why? For what purpose?
If this "Madara" was fake, then...
Was there a deeper, more sinister force behind the destruction of the Uchiha clan that even he wasn't aware of?
Itachi dared not speculate further. But one thing was certain: this mysterious space would not let him—or Akatsuki—off the hook so easily.
From the first question to the second, he noticed the pattern: the questions were becoming more focused. Less general. More... personal.
In short, if it was related to Akatsuki—even buried secrets or hidden pasts—this space would rip it open and broadcast it to the world without mercy.
No one is safe.
That was also why he had decisively admitted to being a double agent.
---
"He's... Uchiha Obito?"
All eyes within the Akatsuki now turned to the masked man. Their attention had shifted from Itachi to the imposter among them.
At this point in time, Obito had not yet officially joined Akatsuki. He hadn't taken on the ridiculous disguise of Tobi, nor had he forced his way into the group.
After all, Sasori was still alive, and his "Jade Maiden" ring hadn't been reassigned.
---
"Humph! Itachi, don't you know who I am? Don't forget who helped you annihilate the Uchiha clan!"
"I am Uchiha... Madara!"
---
Boom!
Hearing those words, Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed his desk so hard that the wood cracked.
All the goodwill he had built toward Danzo evaporated in an instant.
"That night... besides Itachi, you let someone else in?"
His eyes widened in disbelief as he turned to the two other village advisors, who were visibly shaken.
"You both knew about this too?"
The more Hiruzen thought about it, the colder his blood ran.
Danzo allowed a man claiming to be Madara Uchiha into the village...
How could he be so reckless?!
"Sarutobi, please listen—Danzo had a reason—"
"Let him explain himself, Sarutobi—"
"Hmph!" Danzo scoffed, unfazed. "You've grown soft, Sarutobi. Without using Konoha's strength, I crushed the Uchiha's uprising with minimal casualties. What's the problem?"
"Very well... very well!" Hiruzen sneered. "Don't forget how you all got your positions. I am still the Hokage!"
For a moment, the air in the Hokage's office was suffocating.
---
"Don't forget who helped you eliminate the Uchiha clan…"
"Don't forget…"
"Don't forget…"
These words echoed like thunder in Sasuke Uchiha's mind, shattering the calm. His thoughts were in chaos.
His vision blurred.
He fell.
Before the darkness swallowed him, he vaguely heard a familiar, mocking voice:
"Hahaha! You can't beat me, can you? I'm just that strong! HAHAHA! Defeated again!"
"I'm the number one mistake in the ninja world!"
---
Throughout the ninja world, shockwaves rippled the moment they heard Uchiha Madara's name.
Who would've thought that gossiping about Akatsuki would lead to that name surfacing?
That name alone brought pressure like no other.
Some shinobi didn't know the full history of the Uchiha, or even how chakra worked.
But everyone knew Madara Uchiha.
He wasn't just a legend—he was the legend. A symbol of an era.
That single line, "Do you also wish to dance?" had once heralded the fall of thousands across the five great nations.
---
"Could he still be alive?!"
"Impossible. There's no way anyone could live that long."
"But he did help found the Shinobi World alongside the First Hokage... Maybe he developed techniques beyond our understanding."
"But the Second Hokage is dead. And so is Hashirama."
"Exactly. They perished together. If he's still alive, does that mean Hashirama is alive too?"
"…Wait—what if, in their final battle, Madara obtained Hashirama's cells?"
The think tank in Iwagakure fell silent at Ōnoki's words.
They knew exactly what those cells were capable of.
Cells from Hashirama Senju—cells of infinite value and infinite replication.
Was immortality... possible?
---
In the space, Uchiha Obito was internally panicking.
He knew very well that Pain and Konan had always doubted his identity.
Especially Konan. She had even warned Pain to cut ties with him.
"Even if you truly are Madara Uchiha—if you deceive Akatsuki, I'll make you pay."
Pain had tolerated it, wanting to use "Madara's" influence while believing he could control him.
But now?
If they discovered he wasn't Madara… Obito was sure Pain would attack without hesitation.
Not because he feared Madara, but because he hated lies.
Obito wasn't afraid of battle. With his Mangekyō Sharingan and the strange dimensional jutsu, Kamui, he could escape if needed.
And he had an ally by his side—Zetsu.
A being whose true nature most didn't comprehend... but Obito did.
Zetsu was Madara's creation. His walk among mortals.
And Obito strongly suspected Zetsu could leave this space at any time.
He glanced sideways. The two giant leaves on Zetsu's head twitched slightly.
A subtle nod followed.
They made eye contact.
And in Zetsu's expression, Obito seemed to see:
"Relax. I've got this."
---
A small grin formed under Obito's mask.
???
Zetsu blinked.
Why is he smiling at me like that?
He tilted his head, leaves swaying awkwardly, then turned to look at Obito again.
Then Obito looked back toward Pain with a straight face.
Wait… is this idiot really going to try to keep lying?
Zetsu's heart skipped.
The truth is already out! What's the point in pretending?!
You've already been outplayed! Just accept it like Itachi did! At least he saved face!
You? You're just digging your own grave!
Zetsu's internal respect meter for Obito dropped like a rock.
So Madara Uchiha really went blind after giving away his eyes, huh?
How did he end up picking you to carry out the Moon's Eye Plan?
Had Obito come clean, maybe he could've convinced people he was hiding his strength, biding his time like a true puppet master.
But if he stayed stubborn now, he'd be exposed—publicly humiliated.
Just admit it!
Zetsu shook his head.
If Obito was exposed, his relationship with Akatsuki would be irreparably broken.
The Moon's Eye Plan... would have to be postponed.
But that was fine.
After all, Madara was sealed underground. He had no concept of time. Zetsu had time.
Once they escaped this strange space, Zetsu planned to vanish.
He'd wait. Wait for the memories of this humiliation to fade, or for those who knew to die off.
Then, he would return and pick up the plan.
One thing was clear now:
Obito was not the man for the job.
No. Really. He wasn't.
He was not the one.